Going out with a bang, a modified D110 pickup was the star of James Bond “Spectre”.

While it looked a bit cute back in the day, we wish they built the Defender concept so that we may have had it sooner.

Travel anywhere in the English-speaking world, minus America, and you will find just about every farm, paddock and rural property has an old Land Rover Series 4WD hidden in a barn or out in the field. Chances are, if a modern Landcruiser isn’t what’s currently being use, a late model Defender is usually in active service. In America, it was the Willys Jeep that brought all-terrain capability to the common man, everywhere else in the free world, it was a Land Rover working hand in hand with those who work the land.

Eventually, the Series evolved into the Defender, a 4WD that was such an icon amongst rural farmers and off-road enthusiasts alike, that when Land Rover announced the cancelation of the line, the rush to buy the last built Defenders was so great that Land Rover decided to postpone shutting down the production line for 6-months due to demand. Problem is, not everyone needs a luxury 4WD, but a whole lot sure do need a working 4WD.

Unfortunately, the production line did shut down and the Defender name went into a black hole of uncertainty and indecision. The old Defender was lacking in modern safety and emissions controls and did need to be modernized if it were to survive the modern transport regulations. Problem was, Land Rover were fully invested in the luxury crowd and the military did not need unarmoured light general purpose vehicles in an era of special operations infiltration warfare. So, the cash-cow of military procurement would not help a next gen Defender.

Rumours flew after the cancellation, whether the Defender would ever see the light of day again, a sad possibility to the agriculture and off-road crowd. However, we now know that yes… the world will see a new Defender.

What We Know

Well, we know that the 2020 Defender is in fact a reality and not just more rumours and innuendo. Test mules have been seen throughout the English countryside fine tuning the chassis, albeit disguised with Range Rover bodywork.

We also know that there will be both short and long wheelbase versions. A test mule (a Range Rover without rear doors) caught out in the wild confirmed that this will be the case, whether the short wheelbase will be a 90 or 100-in measurement is yet to be seen.

What Don’t We Know?

With the popularity of the pickup version of the Defender selling well overseas in the final days of the last generation, we don’t know if the new version will come so equipped. This would be a shame as it would give the forthcoming Jeep Wrangler pickup competition as the only off-road biased pickups on the market, save for the Raptor and ZR1 special editions of the F-150 and Colorado respectively.

While speculation has predicted the new Defender will sold on our shores, as it will meet modern safety regulations, we don’t actually know if Land Rover will roll the dice on North America. Land Rover have done well in Canada without the Defender for over a couple decades now. Does it make sense for them to invest in regulating the new vehicle for Canadian licensing when they profit so well off the luxury SUV’s, or is Land Rover leaving money on the table by not selling the Defender here? We hope it’s the latter, but only time will tell if we see the Defender in Canadian showrooms.

What Does Land Rover Need to Do?

Here is where the future of Land Rover and the respect they garner in the “we actually drive our 4WD’s off-road” crowd comes to a turning point. Yes, the Range Rover and the Disco are good off-roaders, but that comes at a very high price – both metaphorically and literally. A modern Land Rover will get you across rough terrain; however complicated and delicate electronic driver aids, low overhangs and ridiculously skinny tires means there will be a large bill from the repair shop afterwards.

The new Defender needs to… no… must uphold the hard-core off-road status that its predecessor so uncomprimisingly held. Keep the electronic wizardry, giant wheel sizes, custom embroidered leather, carbon fibre trim and multiple high definition touch screens in the Range Rover. The Defender needs to have two seats up front, three in the back, a steering wheel, three pedals and two gearshifts - enough said. It should be a vehicle that doesn’t give you PTSD after having to ford a river or inch down a washed-out trail. It needs to be simple, easy to fix, mechanically engineered to conquer any terrain, and portray a military-based 4WD as its predecessors once did.

While being utilitarian, it also needs to come with a competitive price that the common off-roader can afford. No doubt Land Rover will see the Defender as a pinnacle off-roader, however we would really like to see a base Defender go for Jeep Wrangler Rubicon money, in and around $50,000, and bring the brand somewhat back within reach of the common man.